Patients are best positioned to provide information about their experiences of healthcare services; however, their perspectives are often underutilized. During informal discussions with massage therapists (MTs) and through the authors' own professional experiences, it was noted that there are times when patients decide independently, and without notice, to end the care they are receiving. To date, no research has been published exploring the experiences of patients who choose to discontinue massage therapy care and there is a gap in the quality assurance process of MTs. Lack of understanding of patients' experiences is a missed opportunity to strengthen the therapeutic relationship, ensure patient safety, improve treatment quality, and develop professionally. We recommend researchers explore mixed methods designs, involve patients in the research process, and solicit multiple perspectives when studying patients' experiences of ending massage therapy care.Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is characterized by degeneration of the myelin sheath of an axon resulting in decreased transmission of nerve impulses. It is an autoimmune disease with periods of exacerbation and remission. Types of MS include relapsing-remitting, acute progressive, chronic progressive attack-remitting, and benign. Symptoms vary from patient to patient. Common symptoms include fatigue, spasticity, swelling, and altered gait. MS is commonly treated with medications that help relieve symptoms and prolong disease progression. Massage Therapy (MT), specifically Swedish techniques, have been effective in treating MS.
To examine the effects of MT on mobility, fatigue, and edema in a patient with MS.
An MT student from MacEwan University's 2,200-hour Massage Therapy program administered five MT treatments over a six-week period to a 58-year-old female diagnosed with MS 11 years earlier. She presented with symptoms of decreased mobility, fatigue, and left ankle edema. Assessment included active and passive range of motion (ROM), myotomes, dermatomes, reflexes, and orthopedic tests. Goals for the treatment sessions were to increase mobility, decrease fatigue, and decrease edema. Assessment measures included the Timed-Up-and-Go (TUG) test for mobility, the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS) to measure fatigue, and Figure-8 ankle measurement to measure edema. Techniques used included Swedish massage, passive ROM, manual lymphatic drainage (MLD), and home-care exercises.
Little change was noted in mobility. The patient's fatigue level and left ankle edema decreased.
The results suggest that MT is effective in reducing fatigue and edema in a patient with MS. Future studies are needed to evaluate the correlation between mobility and massage.
The results suggest that MT is effective in reducing fatigue and edema in a patient with MS. Future studies are needed to evaluate the correlation between mobility and massage.Practice-based research networks (PBRNs) are means to connect practitioners with researchers and increase the body of rigorous research. PBRNs have been used in medicine for decades, but efforts to create PBRNs in massage therapy (MT) are limited.
Examine and describe the amount of and nature of MT-related publications derived from PBRN-supported endeavors.
Databases Scopus, CINAHL, PubMed, ClinicalKey, EMBASE, Google Scholar. Keywords massage, massage therapy, practice-based research network, PBRN. Key items publication year, operating PBRN, article type, study design, general theme, massage therapist involvement/MT application. Inclusion Criteria studies conducted through a PBRN using MT/massage therapists as an investigated factor; articles/editorials focused on PBRN-related MT research.
Initial database search resulted in 444 records; 40 articles included in analysis from database search, PBRN website access, and PBRN staff contacts. Publication dates ranged from 2005 to 2019, with nearly all publhe US if their productivity trajectory continues.
The PBRN model holds promise to further the field of MT, but implementation needs significant development. Promoting the creation and growth of massage-specific PBRNs should be a focus of professional associations and research institutions to expand the body of scientific evidence supporting MT. While the United States has had the most PBRN-related research efforts, a sustainable implementation model is not evident as highlighted by inactivity from US-based PBRNs after initial productivity. An Australian PBRN may serve as a needed sustainability model for massage-related PBRNs in the US if their productivity trajectory continues.Massage therapists have been a part of Canadian's health care since 1919. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/z-lehd-fmk-s7313.html The profession has gone through great change over the past 100 years including adjustments to entry-to-practice education. An important recent change was the implementation of massage therapy (MT) education program accreditation. In light of the likely disruption as a result of programs becoming accredited, a scan of the current state of MT education in Canada was undertaken.
An environmental scan informed by seminal medical education efforts was used to describe the thoughts and opinions of MT education stakeholders in Canada. Specifically, stakeholders were interviewed regarding the current state of MT education and their comments were analyzed for common themes.
Twenty-one stakeholders participated. Four themes were constructed variation, isolation, stagnation, and accreditation. Variation is described as the impact of differences in content and quality of the education provided in MT colleges. Isolation is described as the feeers that they hoped would be remedied by national MT program accreditation. Despite some limitations, this environmental scan forms a baseline for stakeholder views on massage education in Canada upon which future comparisons can be made. While the environmental scan results are most useful when applied to the MT in Canada context, stakeholders in other countries may also find them interesting and valuable when considering challenges facing their own education programs.Sleep problems exist for up to 30% of young people, and increase in the case of those with chronic pain. Because exclusive pharmacological management of sleep problems for children with pain is contraindicated, the development of appropriate non-pharmacological sleep interventions is a significant, largely unmet, need.
This study examined whether the application of a standardized hand self-shiatsu (HSS) intervention within a population of young people with chronic pain would be associated with improved objectively and subjectively measured sleep.
The Pain Management Clinic of the Stollery Children's Hospital Hospital, a large tertiary care centre in Edmonton, Alberta and the University of Alberta.
Sixteen young adults, aged 17 to 27, were recruited for a case series study. The intervention involved participants self-applying a standardized hand shiatsu protocol. Participants wore an actigraph for one week at baseline before learning the HSS technique, and then at four- and eight-week follow-up. At the same measurement points they completed validated self-report measures of their sleep quality and daytime fatigue.